


Tales from the Nautilus Shell

by Yuffie_Myrioku



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Mermaids, Pirates, Sea Monsters, mythical creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 11:01:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24469897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuffie_Myrioku/pseuds/Yuffie_Myrioku
Summary: The oceans are vast and mysterious place, full of wonder, beauty and horror. Sailors tell tales of monstrous creatures snaring ships and dragging them down, pirates terrorizing the unsuspected, enchanting songs in the fog and beautiful beings helping fill fishermen's nets or bringing ship-wrecked men to shore.Those tales bring entertainment, but also dangers of knowledge. With the whale, sea cow and seal blubber trades growing in popularity comes the mer trade. Mermaids hunted down like their marine counter parts for various reasons. Food, hide, fat, teeth, competition. Even as pets.





	Tales from the Nautilus Shell

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, readers! I hope you'll enjoy this. I've been working on this for about a year now, I think and it's been really fun. There will be more adult scenes than what you're used to seeing from me and each chapter will be a point of view from a different person. The titles will be a play on words to hint at which PoV it is. I'm going to try to keep the notes to the minimum and long chapters. So, please be patient with me as this will take a lot longer than most of my work. Trust me, I have not forgotten any of them. Been juggling 3 others while writing this on. Anyway, thank you so much for reading. Enjoy~ ^_^

Cannon fire echoes off the ocean as a fierce battle rages between the pirates of the Crescent Hound and the navy crew of the Highrise. Once childhood friends, now rivals. Both captains are too stubborn to know what 'Surrender' meant. I try my best to keep the wheel steady, attempting to break the harpoon that tethers our galleon to their man-of-war as the rest of the crew repair the damage and man the cannons. A few of our men have been taken out, but a lot more of the other crew has been downed as well. 

Suddenly, my skin prickles. I sense something coming from beneath the waves.  
"CAPTAIN!" I yell as loud as I can to be heard just as the water turns black.   
He looks at the helm towards me from a cannon then over the ship to witness the change. His voice soon cuts through the sounds of battle.   
"Fyre! Hard left! Prepare yourselves, men! We have company!"' Running to the ship's bow, he warns the crew of the Highrise. They cease fire to hear him, but it's too late. The kraken is upon us. Monsterous tentacles breach the surface, rising high into the sky, towering over both vessels. Everyone cranes their necks to stare up in fear and awe.

A shot from a flintlock pistol broke everybody's trance. The men soon scramble to their positions as I spin the wheel to the left, the Crescent Hound creaking in protest against the ropes of the harpoon. There is a sudden jolt as the Kraken’s appendages wrap around us and the navy ship, snapping the line. The wood begins to bend and splinter from the beast constricting our ship like a massive snake. Our crew frantically starts slashing and firing upon the tentacles while I fight against it’s grip from my place at the helm. The creature bellows in pain as chunks of flesh gets cut away making its hold upon our ship weaken. A tentacle soon falls free into the water below with a heavy splash after being completely severed. A second limb shortly follows. The beast finally releases us to focus solely on the Highrise.

Once freed, the Crescent Hound turns away. A cannon suddenly fires at the tangled nest of tentacles incasing the navy ship as the captain hangs from a rope off the side of our vessel.  
"Don't say we didn't do anything for you!"

The beast bellows once more as the chain shot hits it's mark, shredding through what looks to be multiple limbs. Large pieces of wiggling tentacles flies into the water. With a gurgling shriek, the kraken retreats back to the depths, forsakening it's potential meal. 

The captain throws his legs back over the railing, planting his feet firmly on deck with a grin painted on his face.   
"Alright, men! Let's go home!"  
I turn the wheel to the Northeast as the crew work the sails to catch the wind. Looking back, I see the Highrise dead in the water with her masts snapped in two. Turning my attention back to the Crescent Hound's crew to find grins painted on their faces as the captain pat their backs in praise.

~~~~

The sun sinks below the horizon, casting the sky in pinks and oranges. The sea mirrors the colors as the smell of fresh water mixing with salt water. A day had passed since the fight with the Highrise and the kraken. There hasn't been any signs of danger and the crew settled to singing shanties. The captain climbs the stairs to the helm to stand beside me as the island that is our home grows closer. 

"Once we dock, I'll take you home," He says, noticing the patch of dried skin on my neck in the dimming sunlight and flickering flames in the lamps.  
"No." I turn to him, smiling. "I'll wait until after the celebrations. Everyone will want to see the crew of the Crescent Hound after how long?"  
"I don't want you getting sick," he says with a hint of concern.  
"Liekos.. A few hours won't hurt me." I chuckle then look over the helm at the crew. "Raise the front sail! Half the middle! Signal that we've come home!"  
The captain smirks then looks out over his men. "You heard the lady!"

The canvas sails curl, heeding the tug of the ropes as the men pull. The lights dim until only the ones on the bow were left. Tor Porkins the cannon specialist and Esteban Romero the cook flash the lamps. A few moments pass before a spot of orange appears at the side of the waterfall. It sways back and forth in a familiar pattern. The two men nod up to the captain who in turn nods to me. I take a deep breath.  
"Raise all sails! Brace for the water!"

The crew closed all doors to the lower decks to help prevent flooding and secured all the ropes before hanging on to the railing as we slowly glide under the waterfall. The captain stays beside me as we brace. The fresh water parts and washes over us, flooding the top deck. Once the curtain is behind us, Tor fires the harpoons at the matted poles of the dock, using it to pull the ship closer as the people in the dimly lit cave begin to help securing and unloading the vessel

~~~~

The moon high in the star filled sky, tales of adventure told, and homecoming celebrations ended, we set out on a row boat. Liekos, the only human that knows what I truly am rows us out to sea, not far from the island. He's sending me home. Something he's done after every voyage since we've met 3 years ago. The boat rocks gently atop the waves even after we stopped. I smile at him as I stand, removing my coat then unlacing my blouse. The captain's face flushes before he looks away. I chuckle. My kind knows nothing of modesty. Clothing are a foreign concept I've grown accustomed to. 

"You know," I say to him, smirking playfully as I stand naked before him. His eyes upwards towards the sky. "I figured you'd be used to seeing me like this."  
"Used to, yes. But the idea of being aroused by a fish is troublesome," he says with a laugh.  
My smirk fades, feeling a bit insulted. Even with his laugh. I push that emotion away, my playful expression finding it's way back to my face as I shrug.   
"There are worse things to be aroused by."  
Before he has time to realize what I had said, I kick off the small boat into the depths, causing it to tilt and sway. Leaving him alone with his thoughts.


End file.
